"Come." Curt said invitingly, as Arthur joined him. "What kept you? Were you oiling yourself in the dark? That only works when the sun's out, you know."

"No."

"No—It doesn't work when the sun's out?"

"No." Arthur laughed.

"The water's nice. Warm." Curt went on, changing the subject.

"Yeah. Was it like that when you got here, or did you make it that way?"

Now Curt laughed. "You're sick." He started to splash Arthur.

"Hey, sto' it." Arthur said, squinting away from the sprays of water Curt swooped and heaved at him.

Curt splashed harder. He kept going until Arthur splashed back. After that he stopped moving. He stood still, looking serious. Then in the next second he jumped, pouncing on Arthur. The two were hurled deeper into the water, frantically moving about. Almost at the same time their heads popped out of the shimmering sea. They were both out of breath, laughing and coughing up the salty water.

"I could do well with this better than cum." Curt spewed, sending himself into hysterics.

"And you were saying I was sick?" Arthur chuckled along.

"Shut up." Curt said, holding the laughter in. "You know I'm right."

"Whatever."

(----------)

Arthur made his way to the shore, with Curt plodding the water close behind.

"Shit, I forgot to bring a towel. Can you lend me yours?" Arthur requested tenderly.

"Sure. But ya have to let me whip you with it afterwards."

Arthur just grinned to himself.

(----------)

Once they were all done drying themselves and each other, quite playfully, Curt and Arthur paced the soft sands of the beach. Curt sashayed energetically, pausing every so often to routinely hit Arthur with the damp towel, like he bargained.

"Headache gone already?" Arthur asked, sensing the new air about Curt.

"Yeah. It was gone by the time you got your slow self down here!" Curt exclaimed, sending the towel flying.

Arthur treaded slowly and didn't object. He was pondering again.

"Curt, I have a question." he intruded on the quietness.

"Yeah?"

"Did you love Brian?"

"Fuck-yeah. You think I would've made that big an ass of myself for the world to see if I didn't?"

"Oh."

Curt wasn't finished.

"I still love him. Well, the thought of him, anyway. I won't ever be able to love him, or anyone else, I think, like I used to. I still think of him now and then. He's never gonna leave me. But at the same time he's just gone, part of something else, being someone else."

Arthur was stunned. He swallowed. "So what happened? What did you do?"

"Me? I'm not the one who went schizoid. It was all…It got too big, I guess, outgrew us in the end."

"Do you love me?" Arthur boldly presented the question, not three seconds after Curt stopped talking.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. We only met…what, yesterday morning?"

"And…you're already tired of me, I can tell. But, it doesn't really matter cause you got your night's worth."

Curt sighed as he caped his shoulders with the towel.

"Listen. Sex isn't necessary, love is. It's just a self-gratifying thing if it happens on a one-night stand. It's almost trivial."

"Is that what this is gonna stay as?" Arthur asked, distancing himself from Curt.

"Yes, if you keep asking questions like those. I've been trying to get past this. All this thinking and asking questions and doubting of yours is keeping me—keeping us from getting any further. I didn't want to tell you. I hoped you'd figure it out yourself and work it over."

Arthur never felt smaller than when his parents found him out. In his mind he was throwing himself at Curt's feet, begging for forgiveness.

An uncomfortable void passed between them before he spoke.

"I'm sorry, really." he finally said, solidly, in a solemn cadence.

Curt's head swayed lightly, like he was shrugging all his worries away. His arms opened, and immediately, Arthur was magnetized to him. The spring-like breeze substituted for words and seemed to sooth the uneasiness and dissolve their misunderstandings.

(----------)

"We've got to give this, what we have here, more of a chance." Curt murmured, as they strolled up the promenade. There was no need for a 'yes,' a nod, or other affirming action because they sealed the pact with a warm, seaside kiss.

(---------------)

Back in their room, Arthur sat on the bed while Curt smoked by the open window. Hours of somewhat hesitant story-telling and explaining seemed to give everything a fringe of comfort. It was almost therapeutic.

"I hate to beat this to death…" Arthur said. "But tell me something."

"What?" Curt asked, releasing a tiny mushroom of smoke from his mouth.

"This is completely hypothetical, but if you had the chance, would you have a threesome with me…and Brian Slade?"

Curt flashed Arthur a furtive smile and said "In your wet dreams." Next he added "I should've known something was up when you said 'This is completely hypothetical….' I wish I knew that back then."

The room rang with laughter.

FIN

Note: For one reason or other, I feel obligated to apologize if the ending was a tad too…saccharine. Anyjoe, I just needed to get away from all my drama. Everyone wants everyone to be happy, no?